Complicated

Chapter Forty One: Contrast

Think of me in the depths of your despair
Making a home down there
As mine sure won't be shared

The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling
We could have had it all

Adele – Rolling In The Deep

The restaurant was one they had used to frequent back in the year that the two of them had spent in each others company. It was called Havana and sold a variation of delicacies from Cuba and it's surrounding countries. This place brought back a lot of memories and Grace found it hadn't changed much over the past few years. It was as still intimate and low key as she remembered. Grace shifted uncomfortably as they were led to their seats by a hostess, she felt under dressed for the type of upmarket place this was.

"How long has it been since you last came here cher?" Jack asked her, his chin resting on his palm as he studied her.

She still looked as tantalising as always. He was telling the truth when he said her hair looked sexy, seeing it in that choppy, bed head style reminded him of simpler times between the two of them. Ones were he didn't have to keep his hands to himself. She wore very little make up upon her fresh faced features, a hint of smoky eye-liner smudged around those gorgeous grey eyes. Her clothing was a simple, silk, wine red wrap around affair over a black vest and jeans.

A silver and black beaded rosary hung down over the top and the crucifix nestling between her breasts drawing his attention even further to that area. He remembered how those sensual mounds fitted so perfectly into his palms, how delicate her skin felt under his lips as he worshipped her body with his mouth, his tongue tasting her salty flesh as she keened for him.

"You should know the answer to that." she said reproachfully, the tone of her voice snapping him out of his reveries.

He detested seeing those rings adorning her left hand. They were too simple, not enough flair, they didn't suit her at all. She was complicated and interesting, she merited something that showed that. A rock the size of Manhattan would be the only thing suitable for her instead of that understated costume jewellery. Then again, he mused, what did he expect from a simple man like Flack?

"Your husband doesn't take you out to places like this? He doesn't treat you the way you deserve to be treated?" Jack responded mockingly.

He could tell from her slight discomfort that his words hit home. When Jack was dating Grace, he had taken her out to all manner of places to heighten her senses. The theatre, the opera, restaurants like this were all common practice in their relationship. She never had the reason to feel inferior, she was one of the elite even without the money. It was clear from her uneasiness that Flack wasn't treating her the way that she should be treated. This woman was a queen in his eyes.

"Jack." Grace snarked sharply in warning.

Jack admired her loyalty. Grace had always been a woman of integrity, it was a pity that her trust could be so deeply misplaced. He wondered how Flack had earned her faith, it certainly wasn't through his intellect. Jack couldn't understand what Grace saw in the other man and he was determined that by the end of this night she would see him for what he really was, a self centred, sarcastic asshole.

"What's wrong sugar?" he drawled, pouring more of the expensive red wine into both glasses. "Too close to the truth?"

"Your being facetious." she told him, taking her glass and gulping the alcoholic fluid.

Jack was only to happy to oblige her another refill on the glass of wine. He guessed that she didn't get to taste the richness of this blend any more.